The Iran War

PissedYeti wrote:

You should try sitting through some of the sermons the rabbi gave this past week. Nothing says Happy New Year like railing against Muslim fundamentalism and talking tough on Iran. My wife has had to stop me from getting up and walking out a couple of times in the past couple of years during these sermons because they are so over the top.

Well bad things tend to happen to Jews so the Rabbi being paranoid might be an inherited trait . Our Rabbis are usually more relaxed but I don't go to listen to what they have to say . The most common solution to every problem is "Tshuva" which means going back to religion and practicing the 613 laws of Judaism to the letter ( no more peperoni pizza or bacon for you). Rabbis don't go into politics. There is no immediate risk to Jews in the USA . In Europe things are a little different and anti Semitic attacks are more common.

clover wrote:

Yipes. Not in a Reform congregation, I take it?

That actually sound like a reform congregation even though I mostly visited orthodox synagogues. If he sat by his wife it's definitely not an orthodox synagogue . There is a separation between men and women in most of the synagogues I've been to.

Kehama wrote:

Probably reading too much into the standard sabre rattling dialogue but was Bibi implying that anyone who bothers to even listen to Iran is an enemy of Israel?

That's usually the standard dialogue. Iran say they will destroy us and our PM usually respond " you won't be successful" . We celebrate at least 3 holidays about the failed destruction of the Jewish people . The Iranian say stupid stuff and then Bibi say- "look , they are the bad guys". This is what happens all over. It kinda worked for Bibi if you consider the amount of sanctions the Iranians were hit with.

My brother in law is super paranoid . He claim "Obama's mistakes " were intentional to bring about Armageddon so the Christians would rule the planet or go to heaven something like that. He thought about moving to Alaska because he's worried that in the next two year our country would be remodeled by our neighbors after they join forces under the flag of Islam. I guess he's a little extreme and paranoid for a guy with a PHD (science) .

We go to a conservative synagogue in suburban Georgia so it really isn't a shock. And don't get me wrong ... I have nothing but love for the people of Israel .... much like I do for the people of Iran. I just really really dislike the politics of our governments and how religions are being used to further the message of hatred and intolerance. I spent my young life going to Catholic church so I am intimately aware of how Christian thought goes and have found the Jewish faith to be much more easy going and forgiving. Which is why the nation worship thing always seems odd to me ... just seems the actions of your government run contrary to most of what the Jewish faith stands for (based on my limited exposure) and when you are a supposedly Jewish nation then it becomes that much more bothersome to hear how Israel can do no wrong. Seems like a very thin line between that and what Iran's religious leadership is doing. And for the record I don't like them much either (nor my own government for that matter) but I do think Iran as a nation is getting the raw end of the deal here.

Awesome.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012...

Iranian economy on verge of collapse, says Israel

ZaneRockfist wrote:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012...

Iranian economy on verge of collapse, says Israel

Isn't that a bit like "Apple's business on verge of collapse, says Microsoft"?

CaptainCrowbar wrote:
ZaneRockfist wrote:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012...

Iranian economy on verge of collapse, says Israel

Isn't that a bit like "Apple's business on verge of collapse, says Microsoft"?

It all depends upon what you are looking at. The Iranian economy is certainly suffering tremendously. I am, however, more interested in what this portends for Israel and its rhetoric about attacking Iran. Between this and the speech given by Netanyahu recently, I think we can safely assume that there won't be any attack on Iran by Israel until at least next spring.

Interesting how fast Israel backpedaled, so soon after the 47% comment. A few weeks ago, it looked like they were going to go to war before the election, and suddenly they're making nice with Obama. Funny, that.

Malor wrote:

Interesting how fast Israel backpedaled, so soon after the 47% comment. A few weeks ago, it looked like they were going to go to war before the election, and suddenly they're making nice with Obama. Funny, that.

There is absolutely no guarantee a Romney win would have been beneficial to Israel's interests. The same rhetoric regarding Iran and Israel was being made by Obama, too. I suspect it was intended to force Obama's hand when he was at his weakest, but not to steer the election towards Romney. But yeah, it is interesting to see how quickly they have changed their tune. They were living on the edge just a week ago, at least according to them.

The true reason US fears Iranian nukes: they can deter US attacks

No rational person takes seriously the claim that Iran, even if it did obtain a nuclear weapon, would commit instant and guaranteed national suicide by using it to attack a nation that has a huge nuclear stockpile, which happens to include both the US and Israel. One can locate nothing in the actions of Iran's regime that even suggests irrationality on that level, let alone suicidal impulses.

(long snip)

Graham added that the second regime goal is "influence", that "people listen to you" when you have a nuclear weapon. In other words, we cannot let Iran acquire nuclear weapons because if they get them, we can no longer attack them when we want to and can no longer bully them in their own region.

This week on "No sh*t, Sherlock"....

Well, we've been saying that for awhile, but it's actually being said here by Real Government Officials.

How can you trust that it's the *real* reason, then, Malor?

Because, with politicians, especially Obama, you have to pay attention to what they do, not what they say. When what they say matches up correctly with what they do, then you can usually assume you're being told the truth, and continue to assume that until actions and words again diverge.

Bahraini court confirms jail terms for medics who aided protesters

But not a peep, not a peep, from the US.

If Iran did something like that, we'd be screaming about it. But Bahrain plays ball.

Not sure if this has been touched upon but Amber Lyon, the former CNN reporter who has come out about the censorship and journalistic misconduct that dictates our news, has some amazing insight into this situation.

She is on the latest Joe Rogan Experience podcast and it is fascinating and frightening.

I encourage everyone to give it a listen. Joe Rogan can be kind of a meathead at times but this is a really valuable interview and Amber Lyon has some important things to say.

I hope she stays safe.

Malor wrote:

Bahraini court confirms jail terms for medics who aided protesters

But not a peep, not a peep, from the US.

If Iran did something like that, we'd be screaming about it. But Bahrain plays ball.

It's a dictatorship but they are currently on the " right side" . The US can live with those brutal dictatorship just fine as long as the oil keeps flowing. Saudi Arabia is practically a Sharya law country . They cut off people's limbs if they steal and I think homosexuals there should hide real well because they can be executed for it.

The difference between Bahrain and Iran is the condition of the people who live there. Iranian people are poor and oppressed while in Bahrain the people live in prosperity. Iran is engaged in funding international terrorism and likes attacking Jews and Israeli around the world. Bahrain isn't really a threat to anyone while Iran is building up it's military force.

I can probably mention the US-China relations . China is a dictatorship too, they violate human a little above average and the US is fairly friendly to it.

The world today isn't too free. I think that less than half of the people on this planet are really free .

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I saw on the news something about a "US strike" leak

ynetnews wrote:

Rothkopf cited "a source close to the discussions" as saying that the option discussed at this time is based on "a joint US-Israeli surgical strike targeting Iranian enrichment facilities."

There was another scoop on the radio (Galatz) about Al-Jarida publishing that the Shabak found Israel's Secretary of treasury leaked information from classified discussions about Iran in government. The Shabak officially denied it's truthfulness.

Probably as good a place as any to put this - Iran's elected a new president, who ran on a platform of moderation, and is already making noises about bringing the country into a closer alignment with UN/Western policies:
http://backchannel.al-monitor.com/in...

After they winnowed all the "liberals" out of the field. But it is interesting that of those who were left, the most apparently moderate was chosen. That's a message, for sure.